


Happily Ever After

by DramaticNia



Category: The Grand Tour (TV) RPF, Top Gear (UK) RPF
Genre: Beds, Christmas, Comfort, Cute, Day Off, Domestic Fluff, Engagement, Fluff, Gentle Kissing, Happy Ending, Honeymoon, House Cleaning, Idiots in Love, Jokes, Lazy Mornings, Love, M/M, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Road Trips, Seaside, Short & Sweet, Slice of Life, Snow, Sunrises, Tickle Fights, Workplace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28393737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DramaticNia/pseuds/DramaticNia
Summary: Little stories about Richard and Jeremy's everyday life as a couple since they moved in to their new house, the up and downs of their life, their most precious moments and so on ~!!! Chapter eight updated ✔ !!!
Relationships: Jeremy Clarkson/Richard Hammond
Comments: 42
Kudos: 29





	1. Home Sweet Home

**| Tuesday, 25th of December, 2007 | 00:20 am | London |**

  
Jeremy unlocked the door to the house and pushed it open rather slowly, trying not to disturb his probably sleeping fiance.

  
As he stepped inside, he was welcomed by the familiar warmth of the house, darkness and a deafening silence.

  
He sighed as he closed the door behind himself gently and took his shoes off.

  
Turning around in the doorway, he took in the dreamy sight before him – the gentle lighting from the twinkling warm-white lights on the large Christmas tree in the corner of the living room, casting a soft glow over the sleeping figure all curled up on his side on the sofa; with TG laying on the floor beside the sofa, looking at Jeremy excitedly.

  
Jeremy smiled but put his index finger to his lips, hinting the dog to keep quiet.

  
It had been a few days since they’d last seen each other, so Jeremy took a few moments to watch Richard sleeping.

  
The younger man looked as beautiful as always. _'You're just too good to be true...'_ Jeremy smiled to himself as he recalled the lyrics, _'can't take my eyes off of you...'_

  
Despite having fun in the USA and testing amazing new cars, Jeremy had missed Richard much more than he had thought he would. He’d missed being able to kiss those rosy lips. He’d missed the comfort of having the smaller man in his arms, the warmth, the familiarity, and the feeling of _home_.

  
Jeremy decided not to wake the younger man up yet, so instead, he went to the bedroom and took off his clothes before heading towards the bathroom to take a quick shower.

  
After a few moments, he stepped out of the shower and put on a set of fresh clothes which were all arranged in the closet very regularly by Richard. He smiled to himself as he wore his shirt and breathed the smell of Richard's favourite lavender laundry-liquid. Richard loved lavenders. Even all the younger man's shampoos were lavender scented.

  
Jeremy sighed and shook his head, still smiling widely to himself.

  
Richard's soft side was really lovely.

  
And _not everybody_ got to see this side of him,

  
not anyone but _Jeremy..._

  
Jeremy went to the kitchen, poured himself a glass of cool water and settled into the sofa across from Richard. He drained half of the glass before placing it on the table in front of him, taking a moment to breathe in the smell of home, which, ridiculously, smelled like stupid lavenders. Jeremy rolled his eyes and laughed quietly to himself.

  
It was _his home_...

 _  
Richard_ was _his home_...

  
Richard had been there for him through everything in the past 6 years and Jeremy felt privileged to have the younger man by his side all these years.

  
The corners of his mouth pulled up into another smile as he thought back to the time during filming the last Top Gear special, when he proposed to Richard and the younger man said yes and they finally moved in together. They felt happy living, working and ultimately sharing their forever together.

  
Jeremy sighed happily, knowing that he really should wake Richard, tell him he was home. He drained the rest of his glass before pushing himself out of the chair and made his way over to the sofa.

  
Kneeling in front of the sofa, he leaned in and tucked some of the younger man's hair behind his ear, staring at the mesmerising beauty of the sleeping man in front of him in complete awe.

  
"Hey, sleeping beauty," Jeremy whispered in the younger man's ear, taking in the calming scent of his fiance's natural sweet scent combined with the soft scent of lavender shampoo.

  
Richard made a small ‘hmm’ sound, wondering at what woke him. Jeremy smiled at his fiance's adorable reaction and kissed the younger man's temple lingeringly before caressing his soft hair, sighing contently.

  
Richard stirred a little, causing the corner of his blanket to fall and reveal a hot-water-bag pressed against his belly by his hand.

  
Jeremy's heart sank.

_  
Oh God... Not again..._

_  
His mum was right, then..._

  
"Richard?" Jeremy called the younger man as he crawled to the sofa, laying beside his fiance so he was only mere inches away from the younger man's face, Richard's small figure making it much easier for the both of them to get comfortable on the sofa.

  
Richard hummed and stirred again, this time opening his eyes and blinking rapidly at the dim lights of the Christmas tree, trying to adjust.

  
Jeremy wrapped his arms around the smaller man's thin waist and kissed his forehead gently.

  
"Jeremy...?" Richard said softly, his voice small as he looked in Jeremy's direction.

  
"Hey baby," Jeremy said as he ran his hands up and down Richard's back, enjoying the warmth radiating from Richard's body and the softness of his winter coral-fleece pyjamas.

  
"Hey! uh... w-when did you come back?" Richard said, smiling excitedly.

  
"Almost an hour ago..." Jeremy said as he dipped his head into Richard's neck, his body beginning to relax as he held the younger man tightly in his arms and breathed in his heavenly scent.

  
"Why didn't you wake me up?"

  
"I wanted to watch you sleep..." Jeremy said, pulling slightly back to stare at Richard's delicate face, once more totally mesmerised by the younger man's beauty.

  
Richard was staring back at Jeremy, smiling beautifully.

  
"How was your flight?"

  
"Hmm.. It was good..."

  
"Um-hum..."

  
"Richard?"

  
"Yes?"

  
"Is your stomach hurting again?" Jeremy asked as he unwrapped one of his hands from Richard's waist, slipping it under the younger man's coral-fleece shirt and pressing his palm flat against the soft and warm skin of Richard's belly.

  
"Oh... No... No it's much better now." Richard said, quite reassuringly.

  
"Why didn't you tell me when we talked at phone earlier?"

  
"It wasn't _that_ important, Jeremy."

  
" _Everything_ about _you_ is important to me, Richard."

  
"I know... Really, Jeremy. I just didn't want to worry you, that's all. You were thousands of miles away! There was nothing you could do and I didn't want to distract you from filming."

  
"Still, you should've told me." Jeremy sighed, his hand still on Richard's belly as he kissed the younger man's little nose briefly.

  
Richard sighed contently and closed his eyes with a small smile on his face, enjoying the warmth of Jeremy's hand against his belly.

  
"My mum called me this evening..."

  
"Oh?" Richard opened his eyes.

  
"She said that I'm the most irresponsible man on the earth and that I obviously do not deserve you at all and then she hung up."

  
At that, Richard burst into laughter, with his eyes tightly-closed and his mouth open, his regular teeth shining beautifully as always.

  
Richard's laughter has always been like music to Jeremy's ears...

_  
And God, Richard looked even more beautiful -if it was possible- when he laughed..._

  
With Richard's contagious laughter, Jeremy started to laugh too.

  
"Really I'm telling you!"

  
"She came here this morning..." Richard said as he wiped away a tear welled up by the intensity of the laughter in the corner of his eye.

  
"Oh yeah?"

  
"Yes..." Richard said and lowered his head, starting to fiddle with the hem of his shirt, "She brought us some of her Christmas cookies. And after a while, I think she saw my hand pressed on my stomach and somehow found out about my pain and forced me to rest the whole day. She did all the clean-ups and made me some soup to eat... She only allowed me to get out of bed when I said I want to decorate the Christmas tree... So she helped me to decorate it as well. And then she gave me the hot-water-bag and I apparently fell asleep on the sofa till you came." Richard finished with a small smile on his face as he looked up at Jeremy again.

  
"So that's why she was mad at me earlier. She was right then." Jeremy said, frowning deep.

  
Richard's smile dropped.

  
"Oh c'mon, Jeremy! Don't be like that! Your mum had not really meant what she had said in _that_ way! It's just that... your mum is a little _too_ concerned about me... that's all!" Richard said and leaned in, planting a small kiss between Jeremy's eyebrows, trying to stop the older man from frowning.

  
"But she's right. I wasn't here when you were in pain... and God knows how much you would have overworked yourself if my mum wouldn't come to help you."

  
"Jeremy-"

  
"And she really likes you, you know that? Sometimes I think she likes you even more than she likes me! but again, I can't deny I'm really happy about it..." Jeremy said, smiling from ear to ear.

  
"And I like her a lot too! Maybe even more than you..." Richard said playfully.

  
Jeremy pouted at first, until he saw Richard's mischievous smile.

  
"You little tease!" Jeremy said, smirking as he attacked the younger man with tickles.

  
Once again, the room was filled with Richard's hearty laughter as he squirmed under Jeremy's hands.

  
"How are you now? does your stomach still hurt?" Jeremy asked a few moments after their little tickle fight, looking back at Richard's face again, searching the younger man's face for any sign of pain or discomfort.

  
"No... It doesn't anymore. I'm fine, Jeremy, really." Richard said as he sighed contently, his face peaceful and his body relaxed in Jeremy's arms.

  
Jeremy heaved a sigh of relief, the obvious worry in his face slowly fading away.

  
"Anyway, aren't you hungry? do you want me to warm up some food for you?" Richard asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

  
"No, I had a brief dinner in the plane. And _I am_ the one who should take care of you, so shut up and let me do my job!"

  
"Okay, okay..." Richard said and smiled, making himself more comfortable in Jeremy's arms.

  
"But I might want to eat something else... Like... Something that tastes heavenly sweet..." Jeremy said, smirking and faking a thoughtful expression.

  
"Like what?" Richard asked, looking up at Jeremy with curious eyes, eyebrows knitted in concentration.

  
" _You_ , you idiot." Jeremy said, smiling from ear to ear as he pulled Richard impossibly closer.

  
Richard's sparkly eyes with his long lashes fluttering against his pale skin matched that perfect smile on his rosy lips and Jeremy's heart melted for this man once again...

  
Jeremy couldn't help but stare at Richard for a few more seconds before leaning in and closing the gap between them, kissing the younger man softly on the lips and humming to the heavenly taste of the younger man's lips as he slipped his other hand under Richard's shirt as well, caressing the soft skin under his hands.

  
Richard smiled to the kiss and let out a content sigh, his heart fluttering in his chest.

  
Jeremy then pulled back slightly enough to whisper a sincere "I love you." against Richard's rosy lips.

  
"I love you too." Richard whispered back, smiling as he closed his eyes.

  
Jeremy gave Richard another chaste kiss on the lips before kissing both of the younger man's closed eyelids. Then he took Richard's smaller hand in his and held it up to his lips, kissing the smaller man's slender graceful fingers one by one before entwining their fingers together.

  
Jeremy watched the steady rise and fall of Richard's chest and the peacefulness on his delicate face for a few more moments before closing his own eyes as well.

After nights of being apart, they finally drifted to a peaceful sleep in each other's warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, this work will have several chapters ~ :)  
> Thank you for reading it, and please let me know what you think about it so far ~ ♥


	2. Early Morning Guest

**| Tuesday, 25th of December, 2007 | 08:30 am | London |**

  
Richard was awakened by the sound of their doorbell and someone banging on the door like a maniac.

  
He opened his eyes and saw that he's on their bed, curled up in Jeremy's secure arms and between freshly washed sheets, which -again- smelled like lavenders. Apparently, Jeremy had carried him to their bedroom last night after they both fell asleep on the sofa.

  
Richard smiled to himself as he closed his eyes again and sighed contently, ready to get back to sleep with Jeremy's strong arms secure around him; forgetting about the doorbell for a moment... before it rang again, causing him to snap his eyes open again.

  
He rubbed his eyes and tried to get a clear sight of the clock on their nightstand.

'08:38 am'

Richard groaned, wondering who was the person behind the door that was breaking their door _this early_ in the morning, on a Christmas _holiday_!

  
Richard closed his eyes for a few seconds, sighed and then tried to escape from Jeremy's tight embrace.

  
Jeremy groaned in his sleep, not wanting to let go of Richard.

  
"whe' r u goin'..." Jeremy mumbled in his sleep.

  
"The doorbell has been ringing constantly for ten minutes by now..." Richard said as he got out of the bed, sleepily putting on one of Jeremy's shirts instead of his own pyjamas in a hurry, because it was big enough for him to cover his body so he didn't have to put anything else on.

  
All this while Jeremy was grumbling in his sleep, asking Richard to _'get back to the bed'_ and _'let the person behind the door die'_...

  
Richard rolled his eyes and smiled at his fiance's grumpiness as he walked out of the bedroom.

  
"Coming..." Richard said sleepily and yawned as he headed towards the door.

  
Richard opened the door and there was no one behind the door except their _dear fellow,_ James May.

  
James looked at Richard from head to toe.

  
Well, Richard was wearing nothing but a very big white shirt, which apparently belonged to Jeremy, and its hem reached above his slim knees, its sleeves were so long that they covered his slender fingers in a way only the tip of his fingers were visible, and it kept falling off his shoulder, exposing the milky white skin.

  
Richard's body was almost lost in that shirt.

  
"Hey, mate!" Richard said with one of his toothy smiles as he pulled up the shoulder of the loose shirt, shyly covering his exposed shoulder from James' eyes.

  
"Uhm... u-uh! Hello!" James said awkwardly, a bit distracted.

  
"Come on in." Richard smiled and walked away, leading the way to his friend.

  
James walked in, embracing himself in the welcoming warmth of the house.

  
"Jeremy," Richard called his fiance as he walked through the corridor, leading James to the living room.

_  
No response..._

  
"Jeremy!" Richard called out again, this time louder.

  
"What!" Came Jeremy's voice, hoarse from sleep and totally uninterested in whatever that was going on in the world around him.

  
"Get up, we have a guest." Richard said softly before looking at James again, "Please take a seat, James." Richard said as he gestured to the sofas.

  
James nodded, but before he could take a seat, his eyes caught the sight of the large Christmas tree standing majestically in the corner of the room, beautifully decorated, with dazzling warm-white LED lights.

  
It was _astonishing...!_

 _  
'No way!'_ James thought to himself.

  
James continued looking around the house with raised eyebrows,

  
And to his surprise, the house was remarkably fragrant and tidy, which was strange considering the fact that Richard and Jeremy always tended to be messy around him.

  
The warmth and the cosiness of the house felt astonishingly great in contrast to the cold and dullness of the winter outside...

  
And to be honest, James could finally confess that he was literally fascinated!

  
"Right. Uhm... Tea or coffee?" Richard asked, breaking the awkward silence while rubbing his hands up and down his own arms, trying to keep himself warm.

  
"Tea, please." Said James as he finally sat on a sofa near the delightful fireplace.

  
"Alright." Richard said and as he was making his way towards the kitchen, he saw Jeremy walking towards the living room, with the blanket still wrapped tightly around him and pulling its end behind him on the ground, frowning deep with his eyes still closed.

  
Jeremy grumbled and slumped into a sofa across the fireplace as well.

  
"May, I hope you have a _very_ good reason for taking my little warm hamster away from me this _early_ in a bloody cold morning of _a holiday_ ; or else, I'm gonna kill you." Jeremy grumbled, voice dead serious.

  
Richard laughed and walked over to Jeremy, planted a small kiss on the older man's cheek before leaving swiftly towards the kitchen to make some tea.

  
"Don't be like that, Jeremy ~" Richard said cheerfully as he left.

  
"Where are you going now?" Jeremy said, eyes still closed and frowning.

  
"Making some tea, I guess."

  
"Don't. Come back here. I'll do it." Jeremy said as he finally opened his eyes, glaring at James as he let go of his blanket and walked towards the kitchen.

  
"It's okay Jeremy, I can do it mys-"

  
"I said _**I** **will**_ do it. You go and sit." Jeremy said as he shoved Richard out of the Kitchen.

  
Richard sighed, smiled and shook his head as he sat cross-legged on the same sofa on which Jeremy was sitting a few moments ago.

  
"What's wrong with him today?" James frowned, looking perplexed.

  
"Uh... Nothing... He's just being... _overprotective..._ " Richard said, shrugging his shoulders.

  
"You're okay, right?" James asked, looking at Richard with concerned eyes.

  
"Yes... Yes I am! Just the same old stomach aches, you know... As always..."

  
"Oh..." Was all that came out of James' mouth. From his experience of working with the younger man for several years, James knew full well how much those stomach aches bothered Richard during filming; causing the younger man to lose a lot of weight due to eating almost nothing for several days...!

  
And he also knew that how easily Richard's pain could influence Jeremy's mood...

 _  
'Now all Jeremy's grumpiness makes sense...'_ James thought to himself.

  
Jeremy would never confess, but James knew it very well that Jeremy likes to keep Richard away from the world when the younger man is vulnerable in pain, until he gets all well again.

  
Jeremy feels like the world may hurt his fragile fiance at such times...

  
And James had never mocked him about it, because he himself knows how sensitive his younger friend is.

  
However, Richard will never let anyone know the slightest about his vulnerability. The younger man always keeps up his strong shouty and fighty procedure in front of everyone;

  
except Jeremy...

  
The younger man knows that letting Jeremy take care of him makes the older man feel better and less worried about him, so he simply lets him...

  
James shook his thoughts away for now and looked over at the younger man,

  
who was clutching at his abdomen _again..._

  
"And he still says that he's fine..." Came Jeremy's voice from the kitchen as he walked into the living room with a tray in his hands.

  
Jeremy put the tray on the coffee table before sitting beside Richard, wrapping the blanket around the younger man's body and covering his whole small body in a way that only his face was visible.

  
Richard gave a sigh of contentment and snuggled further into the thick winter blanket.

  
"Your stomach is protesting and still, here you are, walking around the freezing house in nothing but my thin shirt..." Jeremy said before handing Richard his tea mug.

  
Richard smiled and whispered a small 'thanks' as he took the tea mug with both of his small hands still under the blanket.

  
With that, Jeremy let out a small laugh and shook his head.

 _  
'This little hamster...'_ Jeremy thought, still staring fondly at his fiance, _'He wants to kill me with his cuteness...'_

Meanwhile, James was involved in an internal conflict...

 _  
'What the-!'_ James thought to himself.

_  
'How the bloody hell Richard Hammond looks so soft at home!!!'_

_  
'He is nothing even close to the fighty and shouty bloke that I know at all!'_

_  
'And Jeremy...'_

_  
'He's acting so fucking caring and protective that I want to puke...!'_ James frowned at his own thoughts.

_  
'He's not even close to the careless Jeremy Clarkson that I know!'_

_  
'Jeremy Clarkson? Caring and protective?'_

_  
'Richard Hammond? Soft and sweet?'_

_  
'No way!'_ James really wanted to laugh at them out loud.

_  
'You can't even put those bloody words close together! Because, hell, they don't make any fucking sense!'_

  
James thought that maybe he's becoming a mental and these are all his delusions...

  
Because, well, these were new sides of his friends that James had NEVER seen in his life before!

  
But again...

_  
'NO WAY!!!'_

  
Even his brain wasn't that stupid to make such senseless illusions!!!

"So, James, what had made you come here to visit us this early?" Richard said as he sipped from his tea.

  
"Oh... Oh yes!" James decided to shake the thoughts out of his head for now, "I wanted to let you two know first before others, that I've been nominated for the best motoring journalist of the year in France's awards ceremony in the next month; and I want you two there as my companions, since everyone is allowed to bring two companions with themselves." James said with a proud smile on his face.

  
"Wha- God! Shall I _kill_ you right now, James? _Really!_ You woke us up from our precious sleep this early in the morning to tell us about being _nominated_ for a bloody stupid awards ceremony in the _next month_?!" Jeremy exclaimed, extremely annoyed.

  
With that, James' smile dropped.

  
Richard however, was smiling from ear to ear, trying to cover up his fiance's grumpy mood.

  
"Oh that's really great, mate! Congrats! What kind of ceremony is that and how are we supposed to appear there?" Richard asked enthusiastically, trying to encourage an almost upset James to continue talking about the ceremony.

  
"Oh God," Jeremy protested as he rolled his eyes at Richard's ridiculously excessive kindness.

  
Uninterested in the whole topic, Jeremy put his head on the smaller man's shoulder, then wrapped his arms around his blanket-wrapped hamster and closed his eyes.

  
He needed his sleep and he _needed_ his hamster even more. He couldn't go to sleep without Richard in his arms; specially now that the younger man was experiencing severe pain in his abdomen and Jeremy needed to keep him close to himself in order to make sure that he's as warm and comfortable as possible...

 _  
'Fuck James and his bloody stupid nomination...'_ Jeremy thought, already thinking of the most devilish ways to ruin James May's ridiculous mood on the ceremony day.

Almost an hour later, James was finally done talking about every single detail of the ceremony, and was finally leaving.

  
"Jeremy," Richard tilted his head towards Jeremy's head on his shoulder and whispered, shrugging his own shoulder slightly, trying to wake the snoring man up, "James is leaving."

  
Jeremy stirred and opened his eyes.

 _  
Yes,_ he wasn't dreaming, James was _really_ leaving!

 _  
'Thanks God!'_ Jeremy sighed as he got up and they both followed James to the doorway.

  
"I am _really_ happy you came to visit us today, mate!" Jeremy said sarcastically, but it was immediately followed by an elbow-hit from a glaring Richard.

  
"Ouch! why!" Jeremy pouted, faking a hurt expression as he rubbed his side where he'd been hit. It didn't really hurt though. _'Just a little punch from a little hamster'_ Jeremy smiled to his own thoughts.

  
"Yes, James, Jeremy's right. Thank you for considering us as your companions for such an important event of your life. that really means a lot to us." Richard said sincerely.

  
"Yeah Yeah... Whatever..." Jeremy said and rolled his eyes.

  
"Thank you, gentlemen. Wish you a Merry Christmas and happy holidays." James said as he opened the door.

  
"Thanks, mate, tell Fusker we said hi." Richard said smiling.

  
'Such a childish couple...' James thought to himself and rolled his eyes. _'They're actually a perfect match for one another though.'_

  
"See you later then." James said and stepped out of the door, getting to his car, checking everything before starting the car as always, and he left with the lowest speed possible.

They closed the door and both heaved a sigh of relief.

"Right." Jeremy said as he bent down, putting one of his hands under Richard's kneecaps and the other around his shoulders, lifting the younger man up with no effort.

  
"Woah! Jeremy! What are you doing! You'll hurt your back!" Richard said, wide eyed and confused as he wrapped his hands around Jeremy's neck.

  
"Nah... You're almost weightless, hamster." Jeremy said, smirking, as he bridal-style carried Richard to the kitchen.

  
Once in the kitchen, Jeremy seated Richard carefully on the counter.

  
Then opened one of the cupboards and picked up a pan and put it on the stove, then went straight towards the refrigerator, searching for something.

  
All this time, Richard was looking at Jeremy with tilted head and sparkling curious eyes, gripping the edge of the counter with his hands and swinging his bare legs like a cheerful kid, wondering what Jeremy was doing.

  
"What are you doing?"

  
"I'm making us breakfast."

  
"Hmm.. But I'm not hungry..." Richard said, pouting.

  
"Richard, your face is pale and I know from _experience_ that you probably hadn't had a proper dinner last night either, so your poor stomach is completely empty right now and your blood sugar is also low. And we don't want to spend our holiday in a hospital, right? with those IV needles in your hands and-"

  
"Now that I think about it, I might be a little hungry as well..." Richard said before Jeremy could complete his sentence, with an innocent look on his face.

  
Jeremy laughed and walked over where the younger man was sitting on the counter and kissed the younger man's head gently before going back to the stove.

It was only a few moments later when Jeremy heard the younger man's kitten-like yawn and smiled to himself.

  
"Breakfast first, then we can sleep as long as you want." Jeremy said softly.

  
"Okay." Richard hummed as he laid down on the counter.

_'Richard needs to eat something if he doesn't want to lose any more weight and become even smaller than an actual hamster.'_ Jeremy thought and smiled to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few off-days ahead, so, hopefully, another chapter will be updated very soon ~ :)  
> Thank you for reading it and please let me know what you think about it so far ~ ♥


	3. The Best Opportunity

**| Monday, 21st of January, 2008 | 00:11 am | On the road |**

  
They were on their way to France, to attend in that award ceremony James was nominated in, and Jeremy and Richard both agreed on going there with their own car. Because, apart from the ceremony, it would be a very good road trip too, since they're both in love with road trips. _Hitting two birds with one stone._

  
It was the second day of their road trip, a few minutes past midnight, and it was snowing on the road as Jeremy was driving his favourite black Mercedes CLK63.

  
Richard was sleeping on the passenger seat, with his body facing Jeremy and breathing softly. His small body was covered under Jeremy's big coat and his delicate peaceful face was something Jeremy could look at for the rest of his life.

 _  
'It's over, Jeremy... You're so fucking hopelessly in love with this man...'_ Jeremy said to himself, smiling.

  
He was having a hard time trying to tear his eyes off of his fiance and keep them focused on the road.

  
A few kilometres down the road, Jeremy saw a petrol station. He stopped, got out of the car and locked it to keep Richard safe before leaving.

 _  
'Why is it so fucking cold here!'_ Jeremy thought to himself. Shivering, he zipped his jacket up and snuggled further more into it. It was much more colder here compared to the last petrol station they stopped for a refuel.

  
Jeremy went inside the petrol station shop to refill their hot water flask and buy themselves a few things to eat. Snacks, coffee, Richard's favourite crisps, chocolates and a few bottles of water.

  
When Jeremy got back to the car, Richard was already awake, looking out of the window around the empty station.

  
"Hey, hamster," Jeremy said as he put the coffees on the dashboard.

  
"Hmm.." Richard turned around to look at Jeremy.

  
"You know what? You're like a little kid. You fall asleep as soon as I start driving and wake up immediately after I stop the car." Jeremy said, smiling.

  
"Hey!" Richard protested, pouting.

  
"Anyway, it's getting bloody colder with every minute that passes," Jeremy said as he reached to turn the heater degree upper, "and the shopkeeper said that the weather is just going to get worse after midnight... Maybe blizzards and all,"

  
"Oh..."

  
"Yes, 'Oh', and I think it's better to find somewhere to stay for the night. Because _no way_ I want to die before mocking James May on the ceremony day!" Jeremy said, smiling mischievously.

  
Jeremy expected Richard to laugh along with him, but all the younger man did was to look at him with concerned eyes.

  
"Y-yeah, I think.. I think that would be better not to be on the road in such weather." Richard said, looking nervously out of the windshield.

  
"Alright, then."

  
Richard sighed, chewing on his lip nervously as he turned around again, continuing to draw different shapes on the steamed up window.

  
Jeremy stared at the younger man for a few seconds, knowing full well that Richard always gets a little stressed out about being on the road late at night, specially when the weather is not so good, and that was why Richard was strangely quiet now. So Jeremy decided to change the topic.

  
"Anyway, I've bought us a few things to eat." Jeremy said as he handed Richard's coffee to him and put the chocolates and crisps on the younger man's lap.

  
"Oh! Thank you, Jeremy!" Richard said cheerfully, looking down at his lap with wide sparkling eyes.

  
Jeremy smiled and shook his head at Richard's cute reaction to the chocolates.

 _  
'Chocolates always work.'_ Jeremy thought to himself, and started the engine.

**| Seven hours later | France |**

  
"For Gods sake, James! What do you mean _it's cancelled_???" Jeremy shouted at the phone, moving his hands in the air frustratedly.

  
Richard was still sitting on the passenger seat, looking at Jeremy patiently with his head rested against the headrest.

  
"Okay, okay, May, just.. okay just go and pray to heavens I never see you again, because no doubt I WILL KILL YOU right there and then!!!" Jeremy said and hung up.

  
Jeremy then took a few deep breathes before turning around in his seat to face Richard.

  
The younger man looked exhausted. His eyes were closed and Jeremy thought he must have fallen asleep.

  
The night before, they couldn't find a place to stay, so they decided to pull over and rest in their own car for a few hours until the weather got better.

  
Jeremy had slept a few hours in the car, Richard, however, hadn't. He was awake the whole night, afraid that if he falls asleep, the weather would get worse and none of them would notice and they would be stuck in their car the next morning and die due to cold or the lack of food and water.

  
So, after that scary night on the road, panicking and stressed out, it was something Jeremy knew would come. And now James had said that the award ceremony was cancelled and they're on their way back to the UK.

 _  
'I will kill that bastard...'_ Jeremy reminded to himself.

  
"You okay, Richard?" Jeremy asked, reaching out to caress the younger man's delicate face.

  
Richard leaned to his touch and opened his eyes.

  
"Um-hum... What did James say?" Richard said with his soft and calm tone that always made Jeremy relaxed.

  
Jeremy sighed and smiled, for a moment he forgot all about his anger at James only by looking at his fiance's eyes.

  
"He said the ceremony is cancelled." Jeremy said, frowning a bit.

  
"Oh! but... why?" Richard asked.

  
"I don't know. He said he'll explain later." Jeremy said as he slid both his hands over his face.

  
Richard sighed and turned around, looking out of the windshield, frowning.

  
"So, we should get back to England too?" Richard asked disappointedly, voice barely above a whisper as sleep was slowly washing over him.

  
"Nah... Richard, listen, I have a plan." Jeremy said, turning around to look at the younger man again.

  
"What?" Richard said softly, eyes still closed.

  
"I still owe you a honeymoon, don't I?" Jeremy said, smirking.

  
Richard's eyes snapped open and he turned around too, looking at Jeremy with wide sparkling eyes,  
a perfect smile growing on his lips.

  
"Jeremy... You don't- Really???"

  
"Yeah! I thought about it and realised that it is a very good opportunity and we should make the most of it-"

  
"Oh God!" Richard Interrupted Jeremy's sentence. The younger man was back to his cheerful mood again, all the exhaustion from before already vanished away.

  
"Yes, I was saying, but first we should find a hotel and rest a little. Then we can go and have fun ho-" 

  
"Jeremy, I wanna go to Aquitaine first!" Richard interrupted Jeremy again, clasping his hands together as he continued on talking, "Or Provence! These are all beautiful and warm places in the winter and all I need now is warmth. Then I wanna go to the Monaco circuit and have a crazy race and win against you! After that I wanna go to the Juan-les-Pins beach and have those famous ice creams you mentioned before, and then horse riding and.." Richard continued chattering enthusiastically.

  
Jeremy laughed and shook his head as he started the engine again.

  
There was nothing in the world Jeremy loved more than an enthusiastic Richard Hammond chattering excitedly about the things he loved.

  
And Jeremy heaved a sigh of relief with a fond smile on his face as he listened to his fiance's excited soft voice.

 _  
'A place for rest, then.'_ Jeremy reminded himself as he drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter ~  
> Please let me know what you think about this story so far ~ Your comments mean a lot to me ♥  
> And I also made a series of changes to the previous chapter, which made this chapter go on this way ^^  
> Thank you so much for your support,  
> Stay safe ~ ♥


	4. Two Souls That Become One

**| Thursday, 24th of January, 2008 | 04:23 am | Hotel De Paris, Monte Carlo |**

  
After two days of doing every crazy thing Richard had suggested, It was the last day of their honeymoon since they had to head towards London for filming in less than 24 hours.

  
It was 8 p.m. when they came back from Monaco and fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the pillows. As always, they were sleeping facing each other, with Richard in Jeremy's arms;

  
but now it was dawn and Jeremy was awake.

  
He still had Richard in his arms, curled up on his side and breathing softly.

  
The room was dark, except of the rays of moonlight through the window which cast a soft glow over the younger man's figure on the bed.

 _  
'God! He looks like an angel...'_ Jeremy thought to himself, he was overwhelmed by the sight in front of his eyes and soon, tears started to well up in his eyes.

  
Jeremy couldn't believe he was where he was right now.

_The younger man looked as if he'd jumped right out of Jeremy's dreams...!_

Jeremy sighed and kept the smaller man closer to himself, kissing his soft hair and trying to blink his tears away.

_The sun was going to rise soon,_

_and it was the last day of their honeymoon._

_Jeremy had a plan..._

_yes!_

"Richard," Jeremy whispered in the younger man's ear and tucked a few strands of soft hair behind his ear.

  
Richard stirred slightly.

  
"Hey, Richard," Jeremy called again, smiling as he rubbed Richard's back gently.

  
Richard only 'hummed' softly and moved even closer to Jeremy, seeking warmth. His head was buried in the older man's chest, and his knees were by his stomach, with his hands clenched into small fists and rested against his stomach out of habit.

 _  
'He looks like a little cute kitten all curled up like this..'_ Jeremy thought to himself and he couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

  
"Wake up now or I'll eat you, you fucking cute little kitten." Jeremy said and leaned down, attacking the younger man's neck with kisses.

  
Richard groaned but his groans soon turned into laughter, trying to push the older man away with his eyes still closed.

  
"Jeremy... Stop! That tickles! Ah.. W-what time is it?" Richard said, still panting after all the laughing and squirming, trying to get his breath back.

  
"Around 5 in the morning."

  
"Wha- Oh for God's sake, Jeremy! What's wrong?" Richard said with a high-pitched voice, frowning as he tried to get up.

  
"Nothing, nothing, just come with me..." Jeremy said as he helped Richard to get up and dragged him out of bed.

  
Richard was wearing one of his coral fleece pyjama sets he'd brought with himself from home, and Jeremy was wearing a t-shirt with a pair of comfy-cotton-casual pants.

  
Jeremy didn't bother to change neither of their clothes, instead, he looked around and saw his long thick coat on the chair, so he just grabbed it and pulled it over Richard's shoulders and took his hand, immediately dragging him towards the door and taking him down the stairs.

  
"Hey!"

  
"C'mon, Richard, we're gonna be late."

  
"Late for what? W-where are we going Jeremy?"

  
"Be patient, hamster, you'll see..."

  
When they were finally out of the hotel building, Jeremy stopped for a moment to check on Richard, who was looking around rather confused. Jeremy smiled and gave Richard's hand a squeeze, making the younger man to look back straight at him. Richard's wide eyes and his bed hair had made him even cuter if that was possible.

  
Jeremy started dragging Richard behind him towards the beach again and didn't let go of him until they were standing right in front of the calm sea.

  
"Let's play, Richard." Jeremy said, staring at the horizon.

  
"What? Are yo-"

  
"Can you just _not_ argue for once in your life, hamster? Just _shut up_ and play!"

  
Richard had never been this confused in his entire life before. He was shivering in the freezing cold weather, his mind was still fuzzy from sleep, he was a little bit worried and the fact that his fiance was becoming a lunatic wasn't helping his situation at all.

  
"Fine... Alright." Richard sighed and turned around to look at the same direction Jeremy was looking at, both men gazing out at the slothful sea.

  
"Right. The game is very simple. Let's see who has the best seaside artwork. Let's start with etching a Ford GT," Jeremy said, already distancing himself from Richard. "and we won't look at the each other's space while we're creating. Clear?" Jeremy finished and looked at Richard.

  
"Yeah... okay." Richard said, still looking skeptically at the older man from the corner of his eyes.

  
As the sun was slowly rising, Jeremy started to etch out what he had in his mind on the sand.

 _  
'My genius is just... astonishing!'_ Jeremy thought to himself, smiling mischievously at the fact that his plan was working perfectly.

  
"Right! I'm done!" Jeremy yelled as he stood straight up, looking at his artwork proudly.

  
Richard raised an eyebrow at Jeremy's speed in this game as he himself was still busy etching the very basis of his Ford on the sand.

  
Jeremy then came towards him and took his hand, dragging Richard towards his own space and revealed his artwork to the younger man.

  
They stopped right above what Jeremy had etched on the sand.

**_" Will you marry me? "_** It read.

The sun was now blooming on the horizon, casting a soft florid orange glow over the sea.

  
Richard was still standing there, staring at those four words, silent and motionless.

  
Jeremy could see the reflection of the sunrise in Richard's shining beautiful eyes...

  
"I know I've asked it before, but, this time, it's different..." Jeremy said as he reached into his pocket and took out a shiny little silver ring.

  
Richard tore his eyes off the words on the sand and looked at Jeremy with wide eyes that were now shining with fresh tears,

  
and then the tears started running down the younger man's delicate face.

  
"I wanted it to be one of our most beautiful memories ever, something we will always smile by remembering, and by looking at this ring,"

  
Jeremy stepped closer and took Richard's left hand in his, kissed it lingeringly before lowering it to look straight into the younger man's beautiful eyes.

  
"Richard Hammond, will you marry me?"

  
Richard just stared at him for a few seconds before nodding his head sharply, causing more tears to run down his cheeks.

  
"Y-yes... Yes I do." Richard said firmly, smiling between tears of joy.

  
With that, the taller man let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding and slid the ring into the smaller man's ring finger, staring at Richard's graceful hand in awe for a few seconds, tears already welled up in his eyes.

  
Jeremy then wrapped his arms around Richard's thin waist and brought him closer, closed the gap between them and started kissing the younger man deep and passionately as the waves were creeping steadily towards them.

  
Maybe time stopped when Jeremy's lips met Richard's, but the flutter only intensified. Richard's heart was pounding in his chest as his knees got weaker. He could only focus on how dominate but at the same time gentle the older man was towards him, how addictively he invaded all his senses.

  
It still wasn’t clear if Jeremy was dreaming this moment to life, but there was raw emotion in the way his own hard and strong fingers curled around the smaller man's thin waist. Jeremy kept his eyes half open, sneaking a guilty peek at Richard every time he came back for air, just to make sure this wasn’t a product of his imagination.

  
He wasn’t sure if nature rooted for this moment or if his mind tricked him into a perfect present, but every breath he took smelled like lavenders and for the first time since he’d known himself, he didn’t feel scared. If anything, the warm feeling of the younger man's breath was inviting. He draped both arms around Richard's small frame and met his rosy lips again halfway.

  
Richard's whole body tingled, the feel of Jeremy's big frame leaning on his as his strong arms wrapped around Richard felt nearly unreal.

  
Jeremy pulled Richard in, claiming his mouth again, hungry and intense, until Richard's knees gave in.

  
They kissed for a few moments before they pulled slightly away, trying to get their breath back.

  
"You're officially mine now" Jeremy said, staring into Richard's sparkling eyes.

_They were officially each other's now._

For a moment though, Jeremy thought he's going to have a heart attack because of Richard's angelic beauty, and that would be it.

  
"Thank you, Jeremy. Thank you for everything." Richard said softly, tears still running down his face as he was smiling perfectly.

 _  
'Is he even real?'_ Jeremy thought to himself as he caressed Richard's delicate face with the back of his hand.

  
"God, I love you!" Jeremy whispered and leaned in to hug the younger man tightly, resting his head on the smaller man's shoulder.

  
"I love you too!" Richard whispered back as he wrapped his arms around Jeremy's neck.

Jeremy had always thought that life in this world is all dull and ugly,

  
but with Richard by his side, he had started to believe that there are moments of absolute beauty upon this earth...

Richard was like a vivid colour to Jeremy's grey life...

**_  
And this is how two souls become one_ **

**_and called 'soulmates'..._ **

  
  
_**Two hearts that beat as one..** **. .** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading it,  
> and thank you so much ~  
> Please let me know what you think about it so far ~ ♥


	5. A Brief Moment Of Everyday Sunshine

**| Monday, 4th of February, 2008 | 10:27 am | Top Gear Track |**

  
They were at Top Gear track, filming a new challenge, and they were almost in the midst of filming the part in which Germans were going to introduce their German cars and have a ride with them. Jeremy, Richard and James, were standing on the side of the track though, watching the scene from far away as they were waiting for their own turn to show their British cars.

  
"Augh, I can't see anything!" Richard protested, wobbling on his tip toes while trying to see the scene from behind a few trucks over there.

  
"That's what I've been trying to tell you since forever ago, Hammond. _You're short._ Just accept it!" James said calmly, a proud smile on his face since he was able to watch the scene clearly.

  
"Ah. Just because _you_ are a _lanky beanstalk_ doesn't mean that _I am short!_ " Richard pouted and crossed his arms on his chest, but after just a moment of thinking, a small mischievous smile appeared on his face and his eyes sparkled. He walked towards where Jeremy was talking with Andy on a corner, then stopped, stood behind Jeremy and started to climb onto the taller man like a little hamster,

  
"-Careful!" was all that Jeremy told him in middle of his conversation with Andy and without even taking his eyes off the script in his hand, he reached behind his back with his free hand to support the younger man from falling, like it is a very normal thing and he is completely used to it.

  
Finally and without much effort, Richard positioned himself on Jeremy's shoulders comfortably, with each of his thin thighs on either side of Jeremy's head, finally able to see the scene clearly. Jeremy, however, just kept on talking with Andy like nothing extraordinary has happened; Richard would _always_ take advantage of his light weight to be playful and that was a well known fact.

  
"Now I'm taller than you!" Richard almost yelled in James' direction, with a triumphant grin on his face as he played with the curvy hair on top of Jeremy's head idly.

  
"Hey! You cheated!" James said as he walked towards where his mates were standing.

  
"I didn't!"

  
"Yes you did!"

  
"Aren't I on a higher level than you?"

  
"Technically, yes, you are, but-"

  
"So I **am** _taller!_ "

  
"You just _climbed_ onto your _giant fiance,_ Hammond! That doesn't count!" James said while gesturing at Jeremy.

  
"Whatever. The important point is that now I'm taller than you." Richard said, shrugging his shoulders.

  
"You're just a fucking little cheater-"

  
"Jeremy! He keeps on calling me a cheater!" Richard whined, pouting.

  
"Oh for God's sake, James!" Jeremy said and rolled his eyes as he turned around to face James.

  
"What! I didn't do anything! _He_ is the one who cheated!" James tried to defend himself while pointing at the smaller man on top of Jeremy's shoulders.

  
"He didn't!" Jeremy said while gesturing his hands in the air.

  
"Wha- Oh c'mon!" James said frustratedly and turned around, running his hand annoyedly through his hair, "What else did I expect though! You're _his fiance...!"_

  
"Listen, James, he technically-......."

  
And they kept on arguing while Andy was still standing there, motionless and with a poker face, just watching the trio arguing like little kids with Richard still on Jeremy's shoulders.

  
"So, um... I think I'll come later, then..." Andy said awkwardly as he stepped away from the scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it was a very short update, I know, but I just liked the idea and thought that it'll be a cute scene to be added to this story, so I just went for it 😄  
> Anyway,  
> thank you sooo much for all your supports towards 'Happily Ever After' so far ♥😍  
> Hope you enjoyed,  
> and please let me know what you think about it ~ 😘


	6. The Fear of Losing Is Not a Joke

**| Friday, 8th of February, 2008 | 21:08 pm | Top Gar Track |**

  
Richard pushed the door of porta-cabin slowly open.

  
It was completely dark,

  
he stepped inside to search for the lamp button,

  
but immediately froze in his tracks...

  
there...

  
in the centre of the cabin,

  
was Jeremy...

  
sprawled on the ground,

  
probably unconscious,

  
and...

  
and drowned in... in _**blood**_...!

  
with a few blood stained knives,

  
and saws,

  
all scattered around him...

Richard was rooted to his place,

  
he felt something freezing-cold rush into his bloodstream and a lightning crackle through his veins...

  
a sudden chill swept through Richard...

  
and time slowed down,

  
his chest felt tight as bile rose in his throat,

  
he couldn't breathe,

  
all he could hear was a continuous beep in his ears,

  
that echoed in his head,

  
and a tear slid down his pale cheek.

  
the cabin started spinning around him,

  
his knees gave out,

  
and everything went black...

That was until Jeremy heard a loud thud when he opened his eyes and propped up on his elbow to look at the direction of the sound.

  
Through the open door of the cabin, a dim moonlight was casting a glow on the man now on the ground...

  
Who was Richard...

  
Jeremy's fiance...

  
His beloved hamster...

  
"OHMYGOD!" Jeremy yelled as he got to his feet immediately, half crawling half running towards his fiance's body now sprawled on the ground in an awkward angle.

  
Jeremy knelt down beside him, putting one of his hands under Richard's kneecaps and the other around his shoulders, he lifted the younger man to his lap.

  
"JAMES!"

  
James' head popped out from behind one of the sofas, oblivious to whatever that has happened around him.

  
"What happened?" James asked with composure.

  
"JAMES HE FAINTED!"

  
Jeremy had already started panicking. His hands were shaking while he was staring with wide frightened eyes at the unconscious man in his arms.

  
"Oh cock." James muttered as he came out and turned the lights on, then made his way towards his mates, "I told you it's not a good idea! We should've done this with someone else, not an airy-fairy nutter who's in love with you like a lovesick pillock."

  
Jeremy, however, was too caught up in his frightening thoughts and his fears for Richard's health to listen to James, let alone arguing with him...!

  
"J-James, call a doctor.. o-or an ambulance- n-no, no go and bring my car, I'll take him to the hospital myse-"

  
"Clarkson! Calm the fuck down you're gonna have a bloody heart attack!" James exclaimed, now standing beside his older friend who had his beloved's limp body in his arms.

  
At that, Jeremy raised his head to look at James with scared and helplessly pleading eyes.

  
"He'd just fainted, you moron! Just carry him to the sofas and I'll bring some water and sugar mixture for him." James said and turned around to leave while grumbling things like 'these two bloody sods are just fucking ridiculous! Why the hell did I agree on doing such a stupid thing at the first place!' under his breath as he left.

  
Jeremy got up and bridal-style carried Richard to the sofas, then laid him down carefully on one of them that was closer to the heater.

  
"Richard, hey, Richard wake up baby," Jeremy begged after pulling his thick coat over Richard's cold body.

  
He started caressing Richard's pale face gently with the back of his right hand while taking one of the younger man's cold hands in his left, squeezing the frail hand slightly.

  
And at that Richard's delicately beautiful eyelids twitched slightly.

  
"Richard?" Jeremy leaned in closer and called his fiance once again.

  
Richard's hand stirred a bit in Jeremy's hand.

  
"That's it baby, c'mon, open your eyes! please, Richard!" Jeremy pleaded, his voice full of hope and anticipation.

  
Richard's eyes fluttered open slowly, blinking rapidly with his soft and long brown lashes fluttering against his pale cheeks as he was trying to adjust to the lights of the cabin,

  
"J-Jeremy..?"

  
"Oh God, Richard," Jeremy let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and leaned down, wrapping his firm arms around Richard's slim body. He rested his head on the younger man's lean chest and closed his eyes, listening to the steady beats of Richard's young and melodious heart and feeling the steady rising falling rhythm of his soft breathing under his head.

  
Jeremy sighed in relief and smiled to himself as he tightened his arms around Richard's delicate body even more.

  
It was like he was holding a little miracle in his arms.

  
Before Richard, Jeremy was used to think that all the romantic words are crap,

  
but now, Jeremy understands very well how true they really are when they say:

  
_To a lover, the most beautiful song in the whole universe, is their beloved's heartbeat..._

  
And then Jeremy was startled out of his sweet thoughts when he heard a strangled sob echoing in the younger man's chest followed by a sudden increase in his heartbeat.

  
Jeremy's eyes snapped open and he sat up immediately.

  
"Richard? What's wrong? A-are you hurt? Oh God. Do you want me to call a doctor o-or tak-"

  
"W-what's happened t-to you?" Richard mumbled weakly, his voice wavering.

  
"What?... Richard-"

  
"Y-you're bleeding..." Richard sobbed and right then he closed his eyes shut and started to cry out loud like a little baby.

  
Jeremy just blinked at the crying younger man for a few seconds before realisation hit him like a bolt of lightning.

  
"Oh... Oh Richard- No! No it's not- Oh God," Jeremy mentally face palmed himself, "Richard, baby, I'm not bleeding, look?" Jeremy wiped his hand over the side of his face and showed his palm to Richard, "It's just red paint. See? I'm not bleeding. I'm all right!" the older man reassured as he reached for the younger man's hands once again, squeezing the delicate hands lightly in an assuring way.

  
Richard opened his eyes and blinked up at his fiance with red-rimmed watery eyes.

  
"The-the knives..."

  
"We just wanted to joke with you a bit, that's all!"

  
Richard blinked up at Jeremy for a few moments, still sniffling, trying to register the words and the whole situation in his mind.

  
Once his brain got a grasp of the reality and latch on, Richard gasped and his eyes went wide. Grinding his teeth and glaring at Jeremy with his still watery eyes, he fisted his hands and started to hit Jeremy on the arm and chest with his small fists.

  
"YOU. FUCKING. BASTARD!" Richard yelled as he kept on hitting Jeremy on the arm again and again.

  
Jeremy just laughed at his fiance's _adorable_ rage,

  
"Ah you're just too cute! Look at you! An angry, pretty, little hamster!" the older man teased while smirking.

  
Jeremy's words seemed to just make Richard more angry as he tried to hit the older man with more force this time.

  
But right before his small fists could hit Jeremy again, Jeremy grabbed both of Richard's fisted hands by the wrists and pinned them down on the sofa on either side of his head, leaned down and put his mouth on the younger man's soft rosy lips.

  
Jeremy kissed Richard deep and sincerely as Richard was still panting to furiously.

  
Richard was caught off guard at first, then he tried to free his hands or kick his legs, but Jeremy's strong grip around his wrists and his weight pinning Richard down to the sofa wouldn't allow him to move even an inch. So he gave up, sighed and closed his eyes, slowly melting into the kiss.

  
"I hate you!" Richard muttered once Jeremy broke the kiss.

  
"I love you, too, hamster!"

  
Richard just huffed in annoyance and looked away, crossing his arms over his chest with pouty lips.

  
Jeremy stared at his fiance fondly for a few seconds before attacking the younger man with tickles his sides on the spots Jeremy knew were sensitive, making the younger man yelp and laugh as he squirmed under Jeremy's large hands.

Meanwhile,

James was walking back with a glass of water in his hand while still complaining under his breath about the stupidity of the situation, but as soon as he opened the door of the cabin he froze in his tracks and stared at the scene in front of him...

  
His mates were both running after each other in the small cabin and laughing like crazy before Jeremy caught the younger man and caged him in his arms, then lifted him up and spun him around a little before laying him down, they started to roll on the ground as a tickle fight began. A moment after, Richard succeed to free himself from under Jeremy and his tickling hands and started to run again.

  
With Jeremy's face and clothes still stained red and the knives and saws still on the ground, and Jeremy trying to catch Richard with a devilish scary grin on his face and Richard running away from him like his life depended on it,

  
it looked more like a weird scene of an even weirder apocalypse:

_  
Laughing zombies running after laughing hamsters........._

  
James just shrugged his shoulders and drank the whole glass of water-and-sugar-mixture in one go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! Finally I am back to my 'writing-and-reading-fan-fics-24/7' mood haha 😎  
> Anyway,  
> hope you enjoyed ~ 😍  
> please let me know what you think about it ♥  
> and of course, any fluffy ideas for the next chapters are welcomed ~ 😏


	7. Lazy Day in Bed

**| Sunday, 2nd of March, 2008 | 09:27 am | London |**

  
"JE.RE.MYYYY~"

  
Jeremy groaned in his sleep as a familiar cheerful voice singsonged his name. He could smell the aroma of fresh coffee and lavenders already floating through the air.

_  
Yeah..._

_It was **his** home._

_His sweet, cosy home..._

  
Jeremy thought to himself, smiling lazily with closed eyes and let out a sigh of contentment, ready to go back to sleep-

  
"Jeremy wake up already!" His fiance whined and shook Jeremy by the arm before slumping into the mattress, sitting cross legged beside Jeremy.

  
" _Jesus,_ Richard!" Jeremy hissed with his eyes still closed as a sudden shiver went through his body, "Why the bloody hell are your hands always cold!" the older man complained while he got slightly up, reached down and pulled the thick blanket up around his bare upper body; then rolled over and turned his back on his fiance, deliberately ignoring the whiny younger man sitting beside him.

  
"They just _are!_ Now get up, Jeremy." Richard said, sounding impatient.

  
"Why should I wake up early in the morning of my **_only_** day-off after _weeks!_ " Jeremy grumbled, his eyes still shut closed.

  
Richard gasped loudly and his eyes went dramatically wide as in disbelief.

  
"Jeremy! You promised!"

  
Jeremy was silent for a moment, trying to recall what _the hell_ he'd promised the younger man this time that he couldn't remember and was so important it couldn't wait till sometime later-

_  
Oh!_

_Yes..._

Now he remembered.

  
He'd promised Richard that they will go gardening together at the weekend...!

_  
But..._

  
"Richard," Jeremy sighed as he rolled over slowly, laying flat on his back and opening his eyes finally to look at his fiance, "It's not like we have a _scheduled meeting_ with your plants or something! It really can wait till afternoon, you know?" Jeremy reasoned calmly.

  
"But Jeremy!" Richard moaned with pouty lips, looking at his fiance with the-cat-in-Shrek look on his face.

  
Jeremy sighed once more, not able to resist the younger man's big, starry eyes and his pouty rosy lips and ready to give up on his sleep and get up when suddenly his eyes caught the sight of the dark bags under Richard's eyes, contrasting the pale colour of his delicate face.

 _  
'Little stubborn hamster... he forsakes his only day of rest only to play around...'_ Jeremy thought to himself, _'What should I do with you huh?'_ he sighed and-

_  
Wait!_

  
Something popped into Jeremy's mind and he smiled mischievously at his own plan....  
  


Jeremy reached out and took the smaller man by the arms, pulling him onto his lap.

  
"Hey, wha-"

  
"Shhh..." Jeremy shushed him and reached a hand up to his fiance's soft nape, brought the younger man's head down and collided their lips together. Richard let out a small noise of surprise as their lips touched, but then he closed his eyes as well and started to kiss back softly. The older man nipped on Richard's bottom lip, asking for entrance. The younger moaned and parted his lips slightly. That was enough for Jeremy to thrust his tongue into the younger man's mouth and start exploring the warm cavern. Jeremy hummed into the kiss, Richard's mouth tasted like coffee, sweetly bitter, and the refreshing depth of his lavender toothpaste was still lurking behind the taste— _'it's so fucking addicting',_ Jeremy thought to himself. The older man slipped his other hand under the younger man's shirt - _or his own shirt since it looked too big on the smaller man_ \- and ran his hand up and down the smooth skin of Richard's back.

  
The younger man slowly melted into the kiss as well, both men now enjoying the warmth and comfort they could feel from their little shared moment.

  
Careful not to break the kiss, Jeremy slowly rolled over and lowered the smaller man on the bed. Richard was still kissing back as softly as always, his small cold hands had somehow found their way around Jeremy's neck in the process. They stayed kissing even when Jeremy reached his hand that wasn't under the younger man's shirt blindly down and pulled the blanket over the both of them, and that was right when Richard let out a little whine and broke the kiss.

  
"Jeremy what are you-"

  
"Only 30 minutes more, okay? Only 30 minutes..." Jeremy whispered as he wrapped his firm arms tightly around Richard's slender and vulnerable waist, caging the smaller man in his arms with a mischievous smile on his lips and closed his eyes.

  
"Jeremy!" Richard whined in a high pitched voice and kicked his legs frustratedly, then tried to escape Jeremy's strong arms but it was futile to try since with every attempt of escaping, Jeremy's arms just got tighter around him. Richard let out a huff of frustration and started to think of a new way to escape and wake his lazy fiance up-

  
_Oh..._

Richard stopped all his attempts of escaping at once when he felt one of Jeremy's large calloused hands under his shirt again, rubbing soothing circles over his hips and his back.

  
The younger man was silent for a few moments, just staring at Jeremy's peaceful face and listening to his even breathing as Jeremy kept on massaging his back gently.

  
It was like a kind of hypnotism...

  
Little by little, Richard felt his own eyelids become heavy and his body started to relax between the cosy sheets and the warmth and security he could feel in Jeremy's strong arms.

  
Richard let out a small kitten-like yawn and sighed to himself.

  
"okay... only thirty minutes thou'..." the younger man murmured softly before drifting off to sleep...

It was only after a few seconds when Richard's body finally relaxed in Jeremy's arms and his breathing became even that Jeremy dared to open his eyes slowly.

  
The smaller man was sound asleep in Jeremy's arms, his beautiful eyes were closed, his soft, long lashes contrasting his pale white cheeks, and his pretty rosy lips slightly parted as he breathed softly... he was all curled up into a fetal position and his small hands were fisted against his abdomen as always...  
  


 _'Just like an innocent baby angel, aren't you?'_ Jeremy thought to himself and smiled as he leaned closer to kiss the smaller man's little nose tenderly.  
  


The older man pressed his asleep fiance even closer to his chest and sighed in triumphant.

  
"Sweet dreams, my little hamster..." Jeremy murmured before sleep washed over him slowly again... .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was just a little fluffy idea that came into my mind ^^  
> Have a nice day everybody and stay safe ~ ♥


	8. House Cleaning Day And All The Love In Between

**| Saturday, 15th of March, 2008 | 10:18 am | London |**

  
Jeremy was up on a ladder, trying to reach the upper shelves in their garage to find the tools he needed to repair their dryer while Richard was in the house arranging the freshly washed clothes in the wardrobes.

  
The old ladder was a bit unbalanced and wobbly and Jeremy could hear its cracking sounds, protesting under Jeremy's weight since it was always his lightweight small fiance who would use it and not Jeremy!

  
The bolts Jeremy was looking for were placed somewhere behind all the other things on the highest shelf so he needed to stretch his body a bit more to reach them, and that was the moment when the little ladder broke and Jeremy fell to the garage floor with a loud yelp.

  
TG, who was playing in the garden, heard Jeremy's yelp and her ears perked up as in alarm. Slowly and careful not to walk over Richard's favourite flowers, she trudged through the bushes and when she reached the door of the garage, she saw Jeremy all sprawled on the floor. In a flash, she ran towards the house and went inside, searching for her young master.

  
She heard Richard's soft voice humming his favourite song in the bedroom and immediately ran up the stairs.

  
Richard was changing the bed sheets when TG entered the bedroom and started to bark right away.

  
"TG? what's wrong?" Richard asked, a bit surprised because TG never barked unless a suspicious stranger was around or something bad happened.

  
"Easy girl, easy," Richard tried to reach the restless Labradoodle and calm her down, but the dog just backed away and kept on barking. TG looked at Richard for a moment and since her young master was wearing only an oversized white shirt and a pair of khaki shorts that barely reached above his knees, she decided that the best option would be to pull on the dangling corner of the sheets in Richard's hands, trying to maker her master follow her.

  
"TG! What are you- wait!" Richard said as his dog pulled him down the stairs. Once they were in the living room, TG ran straight towards the door and barked once more, waiting for Richard to follow.

  
Richard frowned and went after his dog,

  
"TG, if it's all about to make me play with you in the garden, I have to say no to that. Because, I still have lots of work to do." Richard said as he followed TG through the garden, but TG turned around and barked again, a sign that it is actually something more important than what Richard is thinking about. Something emergency!

  
Once they reached the garage, TG stood by the door and barked again, hinting her master to come over.

  
"What is i- Oh my God! Jeremy?" Richard exclaimed and literally ran towards his fiance who was lying on his back on the floor, "What have you done!"

  
Richard knelt on the floor and pulled Jeremy's head onto his small lap.

  
"I think I've broken my back, Rich." Jeremy said as he looked up at his fiance.

  
"Oh c'mon Jeremy! It was just a two step ladder!"

  
"So what? Can't someone fall off a two step ladder and break their back?"

  
"Well, if you were a three inches tall Smurf, yeah, maybe, but certainly not a 6.5 feet tall grown up man!"

  
"Whatever, I don't think that I can help you clean the house anymore." Jeremy pouted, faking a sad expression.

  
Richard laughed and his laugh echoed in the garage, causing Jeremy's heart to go crazy and beat familiarly faster in his chest.

  
Jeremy just kept on staring fondly up at his fiance's bright delicate face which made him smile back unconsciously.

  
Then Richard lowered his head, a fond smile still on his lips as he looked straight into Jeremy's ocean blue eyes.

  
And Jeremy was drowned in those deep brown eyes again. The younger man's rosy lips were glittering as a ray of sunlight cast a glow on his delicate face, his soft brown hair was glowing in the golden light, in harmony with his snowy white skin.

_Yes._

  
_Those romantic songs were right._

  
_You can fall in love with the same person everyday._

And it made Jeremy's heart flutter.

"Let's go inside the house, okay?" Richard said softly, still staring into Jeremy's eyes, his his soft, slender fingers brushing Jeremy's face tenderly.

  
Jeremy put his hand upon Richard's, brought the smaller hand to his mouth and kissed the cool and tranquillising palm lingeringly.

  
"Softer than the clouds," Jeremy whispered thoughtfully, "but still, colder than ice." Jeremy scrunched up his nose playfully and the younger man chuckled.

  
Richard helped Jeremy to his feet, and with Jeremy's arm over his small shoulders and one of Richard's arms around him, they made it inside. Richard helped Jeremy to sit on the sofa and was going to leave to bring his fiance a cup of lavender tea and a few extra pillow and blankets when Jeremy's hand came and took him by the arm and pulled him back towards the sofa.

  
"Stay. I don't want you to go anywhere." Jeremy whispered.

  
Richard sighed and muttered a soft "Okay." as he sat on one end of the sofa. Jeremy smiled and lied down slowly, resting his head on Richard's small lap. The younger man's delicate hands immediately found their way into his hair and started to play with the curls lovingly. The older man sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Richard's soft thighs under his nape and his cool fingers in his hair.

  
"By the way Jeremy, are you sure that you're alright? Do you want me to take you to a clinic or call the doctor?" Richard said, worry evident in his eyes as he looked at his fiance.

  
"Nah... But, maybe a kiss from my beloved hamster could heal me..." Jeremy said, smiling mischievously.  
  


Richard laughed and bent down to give Jeremy a chaste kiss on the lips.

  
The older man 'hummed' to the kiss as he brushed his tongue on Richard's soft lips, enjoying the sweet taste of lavender tea and honey still present on the younger man's lips.

  
Jeremy's tongue tickled Richard's lips and the younger man chuckled into the kiss before he pulled slightly away.

  
"Like that?"

  
"Hmm," Jeremy hummed as if he was pondering and licked his lips, he could still taste Richard on his lips, "One more."

  
Richard laughed and rolled his eyes but kissed his fiance once more nonetheless. This time, however, Jeremy nibbled on Richard's lower lip, asking for entrance.

  
The younger man let out a sound of protest but parted his lips submissively. Jeremy's dominant tongue immediately started to explore Richard's warm cavern and kissed him hungrily.

  
After a few seconds though the smaller man groaned and pulled away, breathless.

  
"You taste really delicious, hamster..." Jeremy said and licked his own lips, longing for the sweet taste.

  
"Jeremy!"

  
"What! I might as well eat you one day, you know..." Jeremy said, playfully pretending to ponder the thought.

  
And at that, TG - who was standing patiently in a corner of the living room the whole time - barked at them and stepped closer to the sofa.

  
She brought one of her paws to Richard's knee and whined, a hint that she wants her young master's attention and that she wants to be on Richard's lap too.

  
"Hey!" Jeremy raised his head from Richard's lap slightly enough to face the whining Labradoodle, "I found him first! You came along three years after me! So he's mine." Jeremy said.

  
TG growled and barked protestingly again, this time rapidly for several times.

  
"What!" Jeremy said, now propped up on his elbow to have a better look at the dog.

  
Richard laughed heartily as Jeremy and TG continued their serious argument, and he seized the opportunity to go and make a cup of coffee for himself.

 _  
_He sat behind the counter with a contented smile and sipped from his coffee, watching his beloveds cute argument fondly, and his heart fluttered in his chest.

_This was the happily ever after they'd always dreamt of._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another fluffy idea that popped into my head,  
> and I thought it would be a cute chapter of their life worth to be added here. 😍💞  
> Sooo, yeah, that's it! 😊  
> Hope you enjoyed, and please let me know what you think about it ~ ♥


End file.
